News & Commentary

Incarcerated and denied medical care.

One of the axiomatic truths of the legislative session is that it’s really hard to pass a good law. Believe us, we know. The ACLU of New Mexico has worked tirelessly year after year to advance legislation that makes our state a more just, free, and safe place to live and raise families, but year after year we see most of our priority bills fall victim to a torturous legislative process filled with a myriad of pitfalls, minefields, and political quagmire.

Like many New Mexicans, I live with felony convictions dating back decades. Slightly more than 20 years ago, an Albuquerque police officer arrested me for taking an end table off of my neighbor’s sun porch and charged me with residential burglary — a third degree felony. I pleaded guilty and the judge sentenced me to 18 months in prison followed by five years of probation and two years of parole.

This bill gets at some of the most important tools for fighting recidivism: access to good jobs, safe housing, and educational opportunities.

Kelly Garcia left Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center nearly six years ago, but sometimes, in her dreams, she finds herself back in a familiar cell. She’s trapped by the same four concrete walls and that same long lonely silence which was pierced only by the occasional cries of inmates worn down by solitude.

A bold plan to transform the landscape of freedom in the post-Martinez era

On June 29, Franky Gonzales left the Bernalillo County Clerk’s office with tears streaming down his face.

"I believe that there can be no reconciliation without admitting hard truths about the roots of our criminal justice system..."